Pale Gold
by candid-tin-can
Summary: A story that follows the journey of a young Andorian as he tries to find his place in Star Fleet and form an identity apart from the strict frame of his culture. maleOC/Kirk


**A/N: Those of you hopping over from my other star trek fic might already be familiar with the concept but for those of you who are brand new; Welcome! ^^ This fic can stand all on it's own so don't worry if you haven't read my other story. Enjoy!**

 **Pale Gold: A Star Trek Fanfiction**

 **Written by Lady F.S.**

Chapter One: "H" Stands for Horatio

Today was not shaping up to be a good day. Not at all. Luka's face felt numb and his limbs suddenly became heavier than they were before. He paid no mind to the people that passed by him as he sat on the end of the massive stair case that up led to the medical building. The document he held in his hand crinkled lightly as his grip tightened with emotion he usually kept under lock and key. This was the third time he had been denied admission into the Advanced Xenolinguistics department and the rejection was starting to take it's toll on him. He just couldn't seem to get certain aspects of syntax and dialect differentiation to the strictly high standard that the department required for all it's candidates. He cursed the ridiculously difficult regulations but in the back of his head he knew that these tests were necessary to purge out any imperfections so that only the most flawless of candidates remained.

Most of the cadets in this program were shooting for assignment to highly distinguished ships like the U.S.S. Centauri or the Artemis. There were even a few, himself included, who wished to qualify for assignment to the U.S.S. Enterprise; a brand new ship that had already been brandished with a decorated Commander for her Captain and an outstanding crew that put other ships in the Fleet to shame. Oh, how Luka wanted to be among them. He wanted nothing more than to be a communications officer for this ship. Unfortunately, since he had yet again not passed to standard in the entry exam he would have to wait until next term and try again. Just the thought of having to wait that long in a limbo of self doubt and regret made his stomach turn and his ambition crumble.

He was mustering the motivation to stand and walk up the steps when suddenly a cadet plopped down right next to him on the step. Luka resisted the urge to let his mouth gape at this man and instead waited for an explanation for this sudden intrusion of his personal space. The cadet had his head hung low, a hand rubbing the back of his head, twiddling with short blonde hair in a frustrated manner. Luka waited patiently before the man looked up and upon noticing Luka he let out a sound of shock as he jolted away from the now very confused Andorian. The blonde put a light grip on his chest as he chuckled halfheartedly and shook his head.

"Sorry about that, I must've scared you more than I scared myself." The strange cadet said through a brilliant grin. "I haven't been sleeping well so I was sort of on cruise control and this is where I usually sit to wait for a friend."

Luka opened his mouth to give a reply but for some reason he was at a loss for words but the blonde didn't seem to mind and he waited patiently for Luka to recover his voice. However, he chose to stand instead and as he made to leave a hand darted out for his wrist but the grip was delicate despite the intensity behind the gesture. The Andorian merely blinked twice at this and didn't hide the apprehension and discomfort on his face from being grabbed by a total stranger.

"Sorry, again," He retracted his hand and folded both hands in his lap, almost as if to restrain them from acting on their own. "I didn't say that to make you leave." Blue eyes were genuine as they locked with his own lighter blues.

Luka nodded slowly in acknowledgement, partly because he couldn't find it in himself to break eye contact with this intriguing stranger. What made him intriguing? Nothing really, but he was able to pull the young cadet out of his spiral and the distraction was much appreciated so he was happy to ride this wave for as long as he could. He sat back down next to the blonde and not a moment after he had been seated he heard a voice call out behind them as hurried steps came closer.

"Jim!" Another cadet, irritated to heck it seemed, dressed in the pure white scrubs that denoted medical was walking down the stairs towards them.

He safely assume that the blonde next to him was "Jim" due to the groan that followed his name being called out in a way that a mother might call a child before he was scolded. Luka tried not to look to frightened as he heard a low growl as this other cadet finally approached them.

"What's wrong, Bones? I only just got here what could I possibly have done?" Jim asked with a mischievous grin, the sight of which almost made Luka smile. Almost.

"My patient was supposed to be here at 2 o'clock and it's 2:15. I ain't waitin' any longer so come inside and we'll do your exam." 'Bones' grumbled as he motioned for Jim to follow.

"Well wait, can I bring...?" Jim trailed off as he looked over at Luka who realized he wanted him to supply his name.

"Ademi." Luka mumbled shyly.

Jim stared at him for a moment before he smiled in a way that made the Andorian nervous and flattered all at once. However, the other cadet didn't look as happy as his frown deepened.

"So, you're Cadet Ademi." He said.

Luka recoiled slightly at the accusatory tone the other man had used but still, he nodded hesitantly to confirm. Jim looked between them curiously as his friend held up a P.A.D.D. he had been carrying when he approached them and typed in some information before pulling up what appeared to be a schedule. He highlighted something on the screen before turning it over for Luka to read. As soon as he realized what he was reading his face was bright red as he felt the embarrassment flooded his systems and he couldn't manage to look up into the cadet's eyes as his gaze immediately cast downward.

"Geez Bones, what do you got on there?" Jim asked with mild concern.

"It's my fault." Luka manage to say although it was barely above a whisper and it didn't help that he still had his head down.

Jim gave his friend a disappointed only to be met with a stubborn frown.

"I apologize, I opened a letter on the way to the appointment and the news was...distressing. So, I decided to take a seat for a moment, to regain my composure, but as you know I lost track of time." Luka explained, now making shaky eye contact with Bones. "I realize it's not an excuse, but it is an explanation and I owe you that much for wasting your time."

It was quiet for a few moments after that and the silence was battering Luka's already frayed nerves like a weathered rope about to snap. A sudden hand held out in front of him almost made him jump out of his skin but the open palm denoted comforting instead of hostility and when he chanced a look its source he saw that it belonged to the medical cadet. He wasn't outright smiling but he wasn't frowning either and that was enough to put Luka's mind at ease for the time being.

"I appreciate your honesty." He said simply.

Luka nodded in gratitude as he shook hands with this sullen cadet. An unannounced hand on his shoulder chilled his spine and when he saw it belonged to Jim this time somehow he was more on edge.

"Aww, Bones I'm so proud of you. You made up with this one instead of haranguing them for an hour." Jim teased as he gave Luka's shoulder a squeeze.

Bones pulled his friend off of the Andorian as he noticed the subtle discomfort on his face and the silence that told him the cadet was too polite, non-confrontational was a better word for it, to tell Jim to keep his hands to himself. Jim looked at him with confusion and irritation as he was unceremoniously yanked, while Luka gave him a subtle 'thank you' while Jim wasn't looking.

"What'd I tell you about touching strangers?" He scolded.

Jim mumbled something under his breath while the doctor rolled his eyes at the gesture.

"Damn it man I'm a doctor, not your mother. Keep your hands to yourself!"

Luka stifled a giggle while the two bickered in a way that seemed all too natural. These were definitely some interesting characters he had stumbled upon and he was grateful for what their presence had done to improve his abysmal mood from earlier. However, he felt he had overstayed his welcome in their company so he decided it would best for him to excuse himself since he no longer had an appointment to keep. Just as he was about to bring it up he was stopped once again.

"Look Ademi, it won't take me too long to do Jim's exam since it's just a simple follow up. Why don't you stick around and I can squeeze you in so we don't have to make another appointment?" Bones offered.

Luka mulled it over for a moment to make sure he didn't have any prior engagements this might endanger and when he found he had none, he agreed.

"Perfect, follow me then." And with that they headed inside the Medical Building.

It looked so pristine on the outside but once inside he was reminded of how very clean everything truly was. The floors and rooms shined with perfection as the lights from the various monitors and devices gleamed as they hit these crisp, clean surfaces. When Luka had broken the news to his family that he was leaving Andoria to enlist in Star Fleet they had wanted him to pursue something more lucrative and encouraged him to go into the medical field but he refused and was insistent on studying xeno-linguistics. Needless to say, they were even more disappointed but still, he wanted nothing to do with this clean building. He still held respect for it and those who studied inside it, a noble pursuit if ever there was one he'd always thought.

"I like that name." His thoughts were interrupted by Jim's calm voice.

"Excuse me?" Luka inquired, not sure as to what he was referring to.

Jim laughed and kept his gaze in front of him, suddenly seeming less bold than before as he avoided keeping eye contact with the Andorian as he spoke.

"Ademi, it's very pretty." Jim said simply.

Luka couldn't help the involuntary giggle when he realized what Jim had meant.

"You should thank my father then, since it was his first." He said in a sly tone that caused Jim's head to snap towards him with a look of intense interest beaming behind those brilliant blue eyes.

"...Right." Bones raised a brow at the sudden change in atmosphere but shook it off just as quickly. "Anyways, you're going to have to wait outside while I do Jim's exam." He gestured toward some cushioned benches just outside the examination room.

Luka nodded and took a seat there, stowing away the envelope holding his rejection letter to be forgotten until he deemed otherwise. Just as he was about to cozy up in his own thoughts and prepare for the wait suddenly a bag was plopped down next to him. He looked up and saw it belonged to the doctor who was rummaging through it with irritated but hurried hands muttering something about "today of all days". Luka's eyes wondered back down towards the bag and he noticed a worn set of lets sewn onto the strap; _LHM_. It was fairly obvious they were initials but the endless possibilities of what they could stand for was what got Luka indulging a far-off look in his eyes as he tried to deduce what they could be.

"I didn't introduce myself did I?" The sudden realization caught Luka off-guard as he looked up to see the doctor had been watching him entertain his thoughts. He felt his cheeks burn a little before he shook his head.

"No, I don't think so." He said.

The doctor held out his hand. "It's McCoy. Leonard McCoy."

Luka nodded in acknowledgement and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, officially."

McCoy tipped his head in agreement before going back to his bag and not even a moment after he had started looking again did he finally find what he was searching for. He pulled out a small tricorder to which Jim groaned at the sight of.

"I hate that thing." He mumbled.

Luka couldn't help the fleeting smile that slipped onto his face in that moment but it was gone almost as quickly as it came in any case. However, not quickly enough to where Jim hadn't seen it and now he was grinning like a fool.

"Alright, enough of your belly aching. You'll have plenty of time to whine when you're done." McCoy dismissed as he ushered him into the examination room.

Luka gave a small wave to the pair as they disappeared behind the door. He was settling into the silence when a sudden _whoosh_ interrupted the quiet. Jim's head poked through the door and the moment he turned towards Luka and that brilliant grin spread across his face something inside his chest clenched. He sat there stock still as he waited for Jim to say something but the cadet only grinned at him.

"The _H_ stands for Horatio." Luka blinked dumbly at the strange and sudden information. Then he remembered the extra initial on the doctor's bag and he found himself hardly stifling a giggle. "Just in case you were wondering."

With that, he was gone as quickly as he had appeared and once the door shut Luka's body slumped back against the wall. His breaths were long and spaced out, as if he had just relieved himself of a heavy weight for the first time. He realized that what he was feeling was exhaustion but he also realized he had been smiling and he couldn't quite remember when he had started. This blonde haired cadet with all his eccentricities and peculiarities was going to be the death of him and heaven help him he was going to let it.

* * *

 **Eyyyyyyyy everybody first chapter! What did you think? Thanks for giving it a read, I really hope you guys stick around. I'm looking forward to doing this one! ^-^**

 **See you soon!**


End file.
